Archive for February, 2014

Something I didn’t mention when I started this three-snippet series: Coralie has been going through some boxes of Confederation supplies Mik traded for, and with Kevi’s advice has found those containing medical supplies (which Doc desperately needs) as well as preserved food. The boxes, however, are stored in a small hidden cave too far from Doc’s cave for the supplies to be carried. POV character for these three snippets is Coralie.

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Mik turned and sighed. “I’ll bring up the horses tomorrow, including a couple of pack horses for the stuff to go over to Doc’s and for medical supplies on the trip,” he said. “Pull out the likely food, and we’ll load it on the pack train when we’re ready to leave.” He looked hard at her, and then at Nonie. “I hope this works out all right,” he added as he picked up Coin’s reins.

And why wouldn’t it work out? Kevi was a good doctor—better than old Bethe, who basically had been a midwife who knew first aid. He might not be up to that much riding yet; he was pushing himself, but she knew how exhausted he was at day’s end. And well — she couldn’t be unhappy at seeing more of him, no matter what her brother said.

Also, I’m asking for help in identifying book or writer on this. Our local librarian is stumped.

The main character is a dragon shifter. She is with the police but some are afraid she will go to the dark side since she had one parent that was good and one that was bad.There is a witch in a wheel chair who is around 600 years old. There is a prophecy that if shed she dies 3 times a curse will be broken.There is a character named Princess Bri or BriannaThey all live on an island.The Island has Protectors and only the characters can go on and of the island.The previous stated witch and a warlock dies and in the process of coming back, the daughter of the witch dies.There is also a character that is a “normal” human Special Ops guy that kills off demon-like beings.

“They’re hot,” Songbird said when I insisted she put on the garments Rainbow had made. “And these bags on my feet are hot and clumsy. How do you stand them?”

“You’ll need them where we’re going,” I said. “Ready? Turn on the distort. Now let’s go.” And I teleported her invisible self to a small clearing, not far from where the hunters had been yesterday, but far enough to be out of hearing. Don’t speak aloud, I cautioned her mentally. Just think at me if you need to communicate something.

She blinked a time or two and squatted down to touch the snow-dusted ground. It’s like the stuff you brought WildDog when he was teething, she thought at me. She didn’t actually sub-vocalize it, but I also picked up her decision that those hot clothes might be a good idea, and that in fact it was going to be hard to warm her hands. I grinned and handed her a couple of fur-lined bags just big enough for her hands.

I opened my mind to the hunters, and nodded in satisfaction. The men are off hunting, I thought at Songbird. The two older women are in camp, preparing hides. I’ll teleport us to where we can watch.

Songbird watched the two women like a vulture searching for carrion. After what seemed a very long time to me, she thought, Can you put their thoughts about what they are doing into my head?

It took me a little time to find what she wanted, because it was not near the top of their minds. Tanning hides was something they had learned from their mothers, and was done simply because that was the way it was done. They did not have to think about it, any more than I thought of how my starship worked when I flew it, or how to walk. But I did manage to find the knowledge that went into their hands without thought, and passed it on to Songbird.

I felt her satisfaction, followed by sudden tension. Listen.

The hunters were returning, at least two of them were, and they were shouting at each other. The third, the leader? I touched minds with one of the shouters, and stiffened. The leader was dead, trampled by the antlered creature they had been hunting. The two were in a race to seize the bearskin he wore as a symbol of leadership, but had left behind at the camp.

I didn’t realize that I was still feeding the mental images to Songbird until she ran forward, grabbed the bearskin, and screamed mentally, Get me out of here! The distort hid the skin as well as Songbird; to the hunters bursting into the clearing the skin had vanished before their eyes and they were too startled to continue their argument. I was too startled to do anything but get Songbird, myself, and the bearskin away.

You can’t just steal things like that, I thought at her.

She grinned. It stopped the fight. The owner’s dead, and you need it. Leave them some salt where the skin was, if you want.

Map of the Misty Mountains, from the original English version of the book.

These are the quotes that were tweeted from @sueannbowling (and on my facebook pages) from February 20 through 26, 2014. All but the last are from The Two Towers, by J.R.R. Tolkien.

“Maybe there is no right choice.” Aragorn, faced with the choice between following Frodo and Sam or rescuing Merry and Pippen.

“When the great fall, the less must lead.” Aragorn, speaking to Eomer, referring to Gandolf’s loss in Moria.

“Good and ill have not changed since yesteryear.” Aragorn to Eomer when Eomer is uncertain what to do about Aragorn’s company.

“There are some things that it is better to begin than to refuse, even though the end may be dark.” Aragorn, referring both to Gandalf’s fall and to the apparent end of their quest to find the young hobbits.

“Real names tell you the story of the things they belong to.” Treebeard, esplaing to Merry and Pippen that it would take him a very long time to tell them his name.

“The withering of all woods may be drawing near.” Treebeard’s slant on the growth of Sauron’s power in Mordor.

“I’d like to see this world studied properly some day.” Sue Ann Bowling, Homecoming. Marna is speaking, and the world she refers to is Mirror, on which they are stranded and which has organisms using both left-handed and right-handed proteins.

I did get out to Ice Alaska today, and took a few photos. I got a little video of the artists working, too. I’ll use that in the iMovie course I’m taking next month. Meanwhile, here are some pictures of the kids’ park. Click on the photos to enlarge.

I think this is supposed to be the head of a dragon. (At least there’s a dragon tail on the other side of the bowl.) Looks like a horse head to me.

Peacock? Nice carving, anyway.

There’s always an ice train, large enough that children can get into it. I don’t think I’d fit.

The sun will rise at 8:17 this morning, and set 9 hours 35 minutes later at 5:52 this evening. Sunset was still a little early for me to take in the symphony concert, though I didn’t have to worry about leaving the writers’ group early.

It’s still been on the chilly side this past week, with lows well below zero and highs skirting right around zero – about ten degrees below normal for this time of year. Mostly clear skies, which with the snow on the ground and the sun 16° above the horizon means really bright. It might warm up next week, though “warming up” this time of year means highs in the 20’s and lows around zero.

Ice Alaska is due to open today. I’ll go by and get my season ticket, and try to take some videos. I’m taking a class in March on using iMovie, and I need some footage to play with. They’ll just be starting the single-block carving, but the slides, maze and climb-on sculptures should be ready. Might get some pictures to post tomorrow. Meanwhile, here’s the official forecast.

It’s Sunday: time for Weekend Writing Warriors (click the logo above) and snippet Sunday (click the logo below) blog hops at allow authors to share up to 8 sentences of their work, from draft to published. I’m posting again from Tourist Trap, my second published book. Blurb below. Last week Roi managed to pull off and drop his mitten, in order to be able to open the catch on the power pack compartment of his misbehaving glider.

Again Roi reached for the catch.

He had to adjust constantly for the changing wind resistance of his asymmetrical body position, and when the cover popped off the power pack compartment, changing the shape of the streamlined upright, the wing tried again to escape his one-handed control. He thrust his fingers desperately into the power pack cavity, jerking the pack clear of the wiring.

The sudden silence in his head was deafening. Carefully he opened his mental shields, feeling for the nearest thermal. There, ahead and to the left, a small one, but rising faster than the glider’s sink rate. He nosed down, shifted his weight left and pulled up, feeling and seeing the glider turn into the thermal and begin to rise. He didn’t think he could climb enough on this little sprat of a thermal to make the cabin, but with luck he could make it out of the broken land.

Whew. (Wipes sweat from forehead.) But he’s not on the ground yet. And while he’s pretty sure who’s behind the sabotage, he still doesn’t know how it happened.

Blurb:

A vacation with his three best friends from slavery and a manhood challenge: Roi is given the graduation present he has dreamed of. Dogsledding, hang gliding, a chance to see Pleistocene animals transplanted to a Terraformed vacation world, horseback riding, sailing … all the sports he has returned to with his recovery from paralysis, and a few new ones to learn.

They’re prepared for danger from weather, wild animals and extreme sports. But none of them realize that Roi’s half brother Zhaim, determined to recover his old position as Lai’s heir, intends to kill them if he can—and he’s decided that the dangers of the trip will make a perfect cover for his schemes.

How long will it take them to realize that the “accidents” they keep running into are more than just accidents?

Tourist Trap, the second novel of the Jarnian Confederation, won first place in science fiction and fiction book of the year in the 2011 Reader Views contest.

Reviewers say:

“Fans of Sue Ann Bowling’s novel Homecoming will not be disappointed with its sequel. Tourist Trap returns the reader to the world of the Jarnian Confederation—to Roi, Lai, Marna, and all of their friends and relations. The author does a stellar job of bringing these characters to life, allowing the reader to not only see their actions but to understand the culture and politics that motivate them. (ForeWord Clarion review)

“Tourist Trap” is a great read for anyone that wants motivation and feeling to accompany the action in their sci-fi adventure. Alien beings and super powers are an integral part of Roi’s story but what makes this novel really shine is the heart. Nobody is good or evil just because that’s their assigned role. Just like in real life, everyone has their own motivations and desires, and Bowling does a great job of letting the reader see what it would be like to walk in the shoes of Roi, Xazhar, and even madman Zhaim. (ReaderViews review)

This is a continuation from last week, taken from a book I’m working on called (tentatively) Both Sides Now. Mik has just been stunned by Nonie’s obvious enthusiasm for Kevi’s accompanying the clan on their migration, and asked if she would really feel safer with him along. Nonie is about 10; Coralie (Mik’s sister) is in her 20’s.

“Yes,” Nonie replied. “Doctor Alsyn is nice, but I like Kevi better. He understands about being scared.”

Coralie nodded. “I’d feel — safer — with him along, too. Mik, why are you so doubtful? The only problem I can see is that he might not be up to the trip. And we always carry the rigging for a horse litter in the emergency supplies.”

Mik turned away and walked quickly to the cave mouth, where he stood for a minute. “It’s just that I know more about his background than you do, Coralie,” he said finally, without turning around. “We do need somebody—with old Bethe gone, we don’t even have a midwife. And if Kevi’s really had medical training, and Doc says he has …. I don’t think we have much choice. Just remember there are some things you don’t know about him.”

Coralie looked at Mik’s back with some annoyance. Things she didn’t know? There were things she didn’t know about everyone, including herself. If Mik really knew something bad about Kevi, why wasn’t he ready to tell her about it? Well, she wasn’t listening to what were likely mere rumors. “I’ll remember,” she said stiffly. “But I’m glad Kevi’s coming with us.”

But Mik really does know something about Kevi, something he’s sworn not to reveal.

I found a group of the northern hunters yesterday, and the distort seemed to work. What’s more, several of the women were tanning furred skins, both salted from last year and a fresh one. Time to contact Songbird, I thought.

No problem locating her, and I teleported to her vicinity. Rain Cloud’s band was relatively used to my appearing out of nowhere by now, and most kept on with their tasks while Songbird ran to meet me.

“Are they tanning furs now? Will you take me to watch? Swallow is old enough now I can leave her with my mother for most of the day, and she’ll watch WildDog, too. But once I figure out how to tan furs she wants me to teach her.”

“First we need to be sure that the distorts I improvised work,” I told her. “Is Giraffe around?”

In response she turned to WildDog, trailing her as usual, and said, “Find Giraffe and tell him the god Jarn wishes his presence.”

I’ve about given up on protesting at being called a god. They make gods of everything else they don’t understand, after all.

I’d made a pendant with the two chips, and I placed it around Songbird’s neck. “When you press here,” and I indicated the sensitized patch, “No one will see you. I hope.”

She didn’t wait for me to tell her to press it; she simply disappeared. I could still perceiver her, of course, but when Giraffe came up, with WildDog riding his shoulders, he did not even look in her direction. “You wished to see me?” he asked politely.

“Do you see Songbird?” I asked.

He looked around puzzled. “No, he said slowly. “She must have just left, though. I can smell her.” By my side, Songbird giggled.

“It works. Now how do I turn it off?”

“Touch the same spot again,” I said, and she reappeared.

“That’ll make watching the others tan furs much easier. Are you going to take me there?”

“Tomorrow, if it’s all right with Giraffe and your mother. Rainbow has made you some warm clothes – at least I hope they’re warm enough. They’re small furs sewn together. And I’ve stored them with tree branches from where the norther hunters live, so they should smell familiar to the them. But you must be very quiet.”

“Oh, I wanted to let Giraffe know where I was. I can be quiet. So will you come at sunrise tomorrow?”

“A little before noon. The sun rises later there.”

Giraffe had looked doubtful at first, but he had seen some of the tanned furs and he seemed quite pleased with the idea that his mate should learn the secret of their fashioning.